Last year, I struggled to keep up with my monthly reading roundups and – to be honest – I got a bit bored with them. I like to write reviews sometimes, if I’ve been particularly struck by a book, but reviewing everything gets tedious quickly (sorry, I’m a bad book blogger).
But I still enjoy sharing some of the things I’ve read and keeping a record, so for now I’m planning to share an overview a couple of times a year with a short description of everything I’ve read so far.
Here are the books I read in the first six months of 2020.
The Five, by Hallie Rubenhold
This non-fiction book tells the story of Jack the Ripper’s victims, arguing against the accepted narrative that they were all prostitutes. Instead, Rubenhold explores issues of poverty, alcohol abuse and the lack of women’s rights during the era, framing the original true crime story in a different but powerful way that centres the victims and presents them as women struggling with tragedy, ill health and oppression.
Ducks, Newburyport, by Lucy Ellmann
Still one of my favourite books of the year, Ducks, Newburyport is a 1,000 page tale written mostly in one sentence that explores the life, passions and anxieties of a housewife in semi-rural Ohio. The stream of consciousness prose draws you in and ultimately serves as a political statement on contemporary America.
Amazon | Hive | Goodreads | My review
Pine, by Francine Toon
Lauren and her father live alone in a small, isolated town in the Scottish Highlands, surrounded by a forest. When a mysterious woman appears briefly, before vanishing, it recalls the disappearance of Lauren’s mother a decade earlier, which has haunted the family.
How Pale the Winter Has Made Us, by Adam Scovell
Isabelle is in Strasbourg visiting her boyfriend, who is about to go travelling. Just after he leaves, she receives the news that her father has committed suicide. Left alone, Isabelle sinks into isolation as she wanders the city streets, exploring its history and succumbing to visions of a demon who wants to possess her.
Amazon | Hive | Goodreads | Influx Press
Sparkling Cyanide, by Agatha Christie
One of my favourite Agatha Christie novels finds a teenage girl struggling with grief after the suicide of her glamourous older sister at a birthday party a year earlier. But it turns out that there may be more to the story and Colonel Race is soon involved, in the hope of preventing another death.
The Stranger’s Guide to Talliston, by John Tarrow
Thirteen-year-old Joe lives alone in a hideout in an abandoned bus, where he fled after his family was attacked. He knows his parents will come and find him, and he hopes it will be soon, as he’s about to run out of the medicine that keeps him alive.
When he finds himself inside a strange council house, he discovers a labyrinth that protects one of the last magical places on Earth. Using a book called The Stranger’s Guide to Talliston, Joe is transported across thirteen times and locations, pursued by a mysterious and frightening cult who seem determined to destroy him.
Amazon | Hive | Goodreads | My review
Help Wanted, by Richie Tankersley Cusick
I read a lot of Point Horror when I was a kid and this is one of my favourites. When Robyn gets an after school job at Manorwood, cataloguing books for an eccentric millionaire new to the neighbourhood, she thinks she’s found her dream job and can’t wait to save up for a trip with friends. But strange things begin to happen and it seems like her new friend Claudia, her boss’ granddaughter, might be in trouble with someone or something very powerful.
Trick or Treat, by Richie Tankersley Cusick
Another of my favourite Point Horror books, this one is about a teenage girl called Martha whose family moves to a scary old house in a small town after her father gets remarried. With her dad and stepmom away on honeymoon, she learns that there was a murder at their new house: and not even an old one, it only happened the year before. Soon Martha is convinced she’s being followed and keeps seeing a mysterious figure around the house. When she finds out she looks like the murder victim, Martha is convinced she might be next.
The 392, by Ashley Hickson-Lovence
This debut novel takes place over just 36 minutes, following the passengers on the 392 bus from Hoxton to Highbury. The story is told from the perspective of the various passengers, making it a polyphonic experience full of different voices, dealing with issues from gentrification to gang violence and loneliness. We learn about the characters’ lives and preoccupations, as they worry about a threat that might change their lives forever.
Amazon | Hive | Goodreads | OWN IT!
False Value, by Ben Aaronovitch
The latest book in the Rivers of London series sees Peter Grant taking on a job outside the Met Police. He finds himself working security at a tech start up where there may be something supernatural going on. Meanwhile, Peter has to prepare for the arrival of his baby with river goddess Beverley, navigating the politics of his new family.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh
A young New York socialite is struggling after the death of her parents and decides she wants to take a break from her life. With the help of a dubious therapist, she begins taking a cocktail of prescription drugs with the aim of sleeping for a whole year.
Barking, by Lucy Sullivan
This graphic novel deals with issues of mental health, as a young woman is hospitalised after the death of her friend and pursued by her black dog.
The Lingering, by SJ Holliday
In this contemporary ghost story, Jack and Ali move to the countryside to live in a commune of sorts and escape their troubles. But they soon encounter something unexpected in the former psychiatric hospital where the group resides, which brings their secrets to the fore.
The Rapture, by Claire McGlasson
A beautiful literary novel inspired by the story of a real-life 1920s cult from Bedford, The Panacea Society, who believed the word of their leader Octavia will take them back to God. One of the youngest members of the society, Dilys, is battling with her faith when she meets Grace and persuades her to join the group. Their friendship increasingly makes Dilys question her place in the society and her beliefs.
Normal People, by Sally Rooney
Marianne and Connell grow up together in a small Irish town, where they begin a troubled relationship as teenagers, one that they hide from their friends and families. The relationship continues on and off as they get older and go to university, each battling with their own demons but always drawn back together.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong
This is a poetic debut novel, written as a letter from a young Vietnamese American man to his mother, as he grows up and strives to find his own identity and place in society.
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge
This is a really interesting and vital read on race relations and Black British history.
The Guest List, by Lucy Foley
During a luxury wedding on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, a body is discovered in the middle of a storm. With plenty of secrets among the wedding guests, who is the victim and why would someone want to kill them?
The Switch, by Beth O’Leary
When she suffers an anxiety attack at her high-powered London job after the death of her beloved sister, Leena escapes to her grandmother’s house in Yorkshire. With two months leave from work, Leena and her grandmother Eileen decide to switch places: Leena will stay at home and repair her relationship with her mum, while fulfilling her gran’s various commitments to the community. Meanwhile newly divorced Eileen will head down to London and see if she can find a more interesting man than her small village offers.
My Sister the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede’s younger sister Ayoola is beautiful and has a constant stream of boyfriends. The problem is, she also has the habit of killing them and calling Korede for help disposing of the bodies. When Ayoola starts dating a colleague of Korede’s, she is determined he won’t suffer the same fate.
What have you read so far this year?
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